Acquisitions Manager–Harvard University–Cambridge, MA

Information and Technical Services (ITS) actively supports the teaching and research mission of the Harvard Library by managing monograph, serial and e-resource acquisitions, metadata creation, and metadata management for the Harvard Library.

As a member of the Acquisitions Section under the supervision of the Head of Acquisitions, and as a member of the ITS management team, the incumbent facilitates timely access to Harvard Library collections by managing the one of four units within the Acquisitions Section, a unit that performs a variety of acquisitions and copy cataloging duties for monographs in multiple languages and formats. While working closely with Library Directors and Collection Development Colleagues, the incumbent also works collaboratively with other ITS managers to develop department-wide strategic and operational plans, policies, and best practices for technical services in the Harvard Library. In addition, the manager provides the leadership and supervision necessary for successful change management and staff retraining.

Priorities will be set to maximize contributions to the overall goals of the Information and Technical Services Department of the Harvard Library. Staff may be called upon to apply their skills and/or receive additional training in order to contribute to work in other ITS units or teams as occasional, short-term needs occur.

This position is located in the Central Square area of Cambridge, MA.

Duties and Responsibilities

Management and Supervision
• Manages one of four units within the Acquisitions Section:
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Hires, trains, and supervises 10-12 staff; oversees division of workflow; establishes goals, priorities and benchmarks; and manages performance
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Oversees a unit that receives materials primarily from North, Central and South America, and Western Europe
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Monitors and improves workflow; monitors productivity and quality standards for the unit
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Fosters open communication within the unit by holding regular unit meetings as well as one-on-one meetings with staff, documenting decisions and discussions when appropriate, and sharing information on behalf of the larger organization to foster staff engagement
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Collaborates with the Unit’s Functional Coordinator to develop routines and communicate and implement policies and procedures.
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Advises the Unit’s Functional Coordinator in prioritizing work for the unit and works closely with the Functional Coordinator to address unresolved issues
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Works with members of the Metadata Management and Metadata Creation sections on vendor services such as MARC records, order loads, and EDI invoicing
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Works closely with the Metadata Creation and Shelf Preparation managers to ensure streamlined procedures and optimal use of staff skills and strengths across sections
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Partners with Collection Development colleagues to ensure effective communication, negotiate shared departmental dependencies, and to make adjustments to procedures where necessary
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Works with members of the ITS management team to serve as a main resource to other departments for their primary functional area and as a secondary resource for general ITS questions
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As a member of a strong, collaborative management team, provides back-up to other managers throughout ITS with regard to staff oversight and functional information and expertise
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Acts as a Liaison between Unit members and Senior Leadership, advocating for needs of the unit members, and passing along relevant information
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Periodically participates in performing non-managerial work within the unit in order to evaluate workflows and to build the expertise necessary to answer staff questions

*See Additional Information section for a continued list of duties and responsibilities.

Basic Qualifications
• MLS from ALA accredited school or equivalent education and/or professional work experience
• A minimum of four years of professional experience in a library
• A minimum of three years of staff supervision and performance management experience
• Knowledge of Monograph acquisitions functions within an academic library setting
• Working knowledge of one or more foreign languages represented within the processing streams of the unit

Additional Qualifications
• Familiarity with vendor databases or tools such as Gobi highly desirable
• Experience with analyzing and creating procedures such as service standards, policies, procedures and workflows
• Ability to manage competing priorities with a positive, constructive, flexible, and cooperative manner
• Demonstrated success in training, staff development, and performance management
• Experience with ExLibris’ Library services platforms, such as Aleph, Alma and Primo, preferred
• Experience with financial analysis and project management preferred
• Working knowledge of additional foreign languages represented within the processing streams of the unit desirable
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and maintain a professional demeanor when assisting colleagues with problems
• Advanced written communication and teaching skills
• Demonstrated facility with technology, including significant experience with integrated library systems and bibliographic utilities, and a working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications
• Demonstrated commitment to maintaining a supportive work environment that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion for all
• Ability to use technology in creative ways to solve problems or facilitate workflow
• Must have excellent organizational, interpersonal, strong problem-solving and analytical skills, customer service orientation, initiative and flexibility to adapt to changing daily and strategic priorities
• Ability to exhibit strong initiative
• Ability to prioritize and meet project deadlines
• Ability to work productively and cooperatively in a team environment, with flexibility and versatility in an evolving work situation required
• Ability to work independently to perform complex tasks
• Commitment to be part of a continuous learning environment, updating skills as required to perform job duties
Diversity & Inclusion at the Harvard Library

Across the Harvard Library, our work is enriched by our diverse campus community. Our unique and wide-ranging abilities, experiences, and perspectives are integral to achieving Harvard University’s mission of excellence in research, teaching, and learning for our patrons, our collections, and our workplace. We believe that an inclusive environment that cultivates and promotes understanding, respect, and collaboration across our diverse workforce enables our success.

We invite individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences and abilities to be a part of our community of over 700 staff members. Our work with faculty, students and researchers to explore answers to intellectual questions, enduring and new, and to seek solutions to the world’s most consequential problems, requires that we not only reflect, but also champion our diverse society.

Learn more about our contributions to the academic enterprise by visiting us at http://library.harvard.edu and about the Harvard University community at http://hr.harvard.edu/why-harvard.

The Harvard Library is a proud member of the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Diversity Alliance.

Additional Information

Although the position will remain posted until filled. Applications will be considered beginning, September 27, 2019.

Duties and Responsibilities continued:
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Creates an environment that supports staff professional development, encourages staff growth and advocates for resources as needed to position the staff for success
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Models professional behavior in the workplace at all times through verbal and non-verbal communication; relates to others in a respectful and collegial manner
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Maintains the privacy of patron records and protects high risk/confidential information contained in University records
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Shares responsibility with other ITS managers to support a safe and healthy work environment including communicating issues that affect the work facility with ITS staff and operations staff

Operations and Service Delivery
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Establishes effective, timely and standardized work processes, policies and best practices in coordination with ITS senior leadership, ITS management peers, Shared Services and library colleagues, and other appropriate staff in order to provide high-quality and responsive service to library users
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Optimizes workflow to reduce processing time, backlogs, and manual/local data entry whenever possible
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Reviews and stays current with vendor service offerings and evaluates their value to the Harvard Library organization; makes proposals as appropriate for experimentation and adoption
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Develops innovative methods to improve efficiency and productivity of the unit, introducing automation to reduce repetitive activities while ensuring ongoing quality control and adherence to agreed-upon work standards
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Introduces ideas, plans appropriate communication and training, and ensures effective documentation is in place to implement changes in technical services policies and procedures
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Develops and directs special projects and initiatives
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Establishes strong relationships with the campus libraries to ensure continuing relevance of services that meet their needs; collaborates with library colleagues to develop sustainable services within achievable service expectations
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Collects and reports data concerning unit activity

Strategic Planning and Leadership
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Promotes and participates in campus collaborations that inform technical services through active engagement with colleagues and initiatives across the Harvard Library system
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Demonstrates accountability and creativity in building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders
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May represent the Harvard Library in committees and associations beyond Harvard to offer leadership and contributions to the research library community and the library profession
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Participates in departmental and unit-level strategic planning in consultation with other ITS managers and staff

EEO Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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